My while statement is never ending!!!

[jocdrew21]

This while statement is not cooperating and I am not really sure why. I tried to say while not equal to true and later false, but both produce a never ending loop. I know I posted this before and I got several comments back about different issues with this program. However this question is specific about the while statement.

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

void userPrompt();
void accessPrompt(char);
void addContact();
void deleteContact();
void CountContact();


vector<string> contacts;

void userPrompt()
{
    char prompt;
    
    cout<<"Enter [a] to add a contact, [d] to delete a contact, [c] to count the contacts and to [e]Exit"<< endl;
    cin >> prompt;
    cin.ignore();
    
    accessPrompt(prompt);
    
}

void accessPrompt(char user_request)
{
    
    bool running = true;
    
    while (running != true) {
        
        if (user_request == 'a' || user_request == 'A')
        {
            addContact();
        }
        else if (user_request == 'd'|| user_request == 'D')
        {
            deleteContact();
        }
        else if (user_request == 'c' || user_request == 'C')
        {
            CountContact();
        }
        else if (user_request == 'e' || user_request == 'E')
        {
            running = false;
        }
        else
            cout<<"You did not enter a correct value"<<endl;
    }
    
}

void addContact()
{
    string contact;
    cout<<"Add the name of your contact below"<<endl;
    getline(cin, contact);
    
    contacts.push_back(contact);
    
}
void deleteContact()
{
    int position;
    
    cout<<"Where is the contact located that you want to delete?"<<endl;
    cin>>position;
    cin.ignore();
    
    contacts.erase(contacts.begin() + position); //contacts.begin=0 so position will find the contact
    
}
void CountContact()
{
    cout<<"You have"<<contacts.size() << " contact(s)."<<endl;
    
    for (size_t i = 0; i<contacts.size(); i++) {
        cout<< i <<". "<< contacts.at(i) <<endl; //just another way to way to write contacts[i]
    }
    
}


int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
    
    userPrompt();
    
    return 0;
}

[jocdrew21]

This is outputs addcontact over and over no matter what I input!!!!

 void accessPrompt(char user_request)
{
    
    bool running = true;
    
    while (running == true) {
        
        if (user_request == 'a' || user_request == 'A')
        {
            addContact();
        }
        else if (user_request == 'd'|| user_request == 'D')
        {
            deleteContact();
        }
        else if (user_request == 'c' || user_request == 'C')
        {
            CountContact();
        }
        else if (user_request == 'e' || user_request == 'E')
        {
            running = false;
        }
        else
            cout<<"You did not enter a correct value"<<endl;
    }
    
}

[jimblumberg]

It should end when you've entered a 'e' or 'E' anything else should give you an endless loop since you never change running inside the loop.

Jim

[jocdrew21]

Looks like I need a switch statement then. I want it to keep asking the user to enter a,d,c or e and if anything else is entered I want to display a invaild statement.

[jimblumberg]

Looks like I need a switch statement then.

Why do you think a switch statement would help?

I want it to keep asking the user to enter a,d,c or e and if anything else is entered I want to display a invaild statement.

Then why aren't you asking the user to enter a value?

Maybe the loop should be in the userPrompt() function instead of in this function? And maybe this function should return a value to userPrompt()?


Jim

[SirPrattlepod]

Why do you think a switch statement would help?


Then why aren't you asking the user to enter a value?

Maybe the loop should be in the userPrompt() function instead of in this function? And maybe this function should return a value to userPrompt()?


Jim

I'd do it the other way around... put the function userPrompt() into the loop before the switch. Modify the function userPrompt() to either return the character the user entered, OR pass a pointer to a variable so that userPrompt() can store the value